How fees work
The fee for a visit depends on why you came and on what your plan covers. Here are the questions parents ask us, and our answers.
Insurance we work with
A routine eye exam is usually billed to a vision plan. A visit for an eye problem, a disease check or a follow-up is billed to medical insurance, and many visits mix both. Medicare does not cover routine exams or glasses, with narrow exceptions.
Vision plans, for routine exams and part of glasses
Medical insurance, for eye problems and follow-up visits
Plans differ, so call us to confirm yours
If you pay yourself
If you pay yourself, the fee depends on the visit and on any extra tests the doctor suggests. Frames, lenses, coatings and replacement pairs are billed separately from the exam. We tell you the fee for each part before you decide, and we do not promise a price over the phone for a visit we have not seen.
Receipts for reimbursement
If you pay yourself and your plan reimburses, we give you an itemized receipt to send to your plan.
An estimate in advance
If you are not using insurance, you can ask for a Good Faith Estimate in writing before your visit. If a bill comes to $400 or more above that estimate, you can dispute it.
Your rights under the No Surprises ActChecking your benefits
Before your visit, our patient coordinator checks your vision and medical benefits where she can and tells you what she found. Plans change, so please confirm with your plan too.
What the first visit includes
A first visit is a full exam of about 45 minutes with the doctor, and a parent in the room. It is billed to a vision plan or to medical insurance depending on why you came. We tell you which before you leave.
Which part goes where
Vision plan, medical insurance or you
Vision plan
A routine eye exam, and often part of glasses or contact lenses.
Medical insurance
A visit for a red eye, an injury, an eye that turns or a follow-up to an eye problem.
You
Anything a plan does not cover, such as extra frames, coatings or a second pair. We say so first.
Our policy
Your prescription is yours
Your prescription is yours. We give you a copy after your exam and fitting, and you can fill it anywhere.
You never have to buy glasses or contact lenses from us to get a copy.
Questions about a bill?
Call the office. Our patient coordinator will go through it with you.